UCF vs. Florida Atlantic preview, odds, prediction, TV channel, live stream
The UCF Knights will be back in action after having last week’s game canceled, taking on Lane Kiffin and the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday night.
The last time that the UCF Knights lost a football game, Barack Obama was still in the White House. That’s how long it’s been since this team has tasted the bitterness of defeat after reeling off a phenomenally entertaining unbeaten campaign in 2017. They’ve since started the season 2-0 after having their Week 3 matchup with North Carolina canceled due to Hurricane Florence. On Friday, however, they’ll be back in action as they welcome the Florida Atlantic Owls to Orlando.
At the heart of the Knights’ success over last season and to begin 2018 is their high-octane offense. Quarterback McKenzie Milton is one a perennially slept on Heisman Trophy candidate as he’s able to simply eviscerate opposing defenses both with a strong arm and the ability to take off and run by defenders.
It’s worth noting, however, that UCF might not quite be at the level they were a season ago. The culprit for that is the defense. After losing two stud defenders in Shaquem Griffin and Mike Hughes, the Knights defensive unit is lesser than it was, but has yet to be tested thus far in the 2018 season. Having said that, Lane Kiffin and the Owls will certainly change that.
Disregarding their season-opening drubbing at the hands of Oklahoma, Florida Atlantic again looks to be one of the most impressive offensive teams in the country. Star running back Devin Singletary leads the charge and already has seven touchdowns through just three games. What’s more, quarterback Chris Robison has shown the ability to light up the box score when he’s on. Inconsistency, however, has been an issue.
The biggest issue for the Owls this season is their defense. While they don’t have to face the Sooners each week, they truly haven’t shown the ability to stop anyone as both Air Force and Bethune-Cookman were able to put up a fair amount of points. When you put that unit up against UCF, it could be a long day for Florida Atlantic trying to keep their opponents from scoring on Friday night.
Game Info
Date: Friday, Sept. 21
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Orlando, FL
Stadium: Spectrum Stadium
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN, FuboTV
The 16th-ranked Knights find themselves as nearly two-touchdown favorites in this game. However, the biggest story here is the Over/Under line, which is set at 76 points. You can expect all of the points on Friday night from this matchup.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: UCF -13.5
Moneyline: UCF -525, Florida Atlantic +415
Over/Under: 76
All odds are courtesy of Odds Shark
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Prediction
Despite how high the Over/Under line is, still take the over. I don’t believe that we have any proof to this point that either defense is going to be able to stop the opposing offense with any kind of consistency. However, I have a bit more faith in the Knights talent on defense to come up with scarce stops and in their offense to be simply unstoppable when they have the ball. As such, they’ll win in a torrid, high-scoring affair.
Final Score: UCF Knights 52, Florida Atlantic Owls 37